Become an Effective Emergency Communicator in Just Two Saturdays!
The Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course provides 16 hours of classroom training aimed at new and experienced hams alike. New hams will quickly learn ideas and skills that might take years to learn otherwise. Experienced hams will learn new things and hone their existing Emcomm skills--guaranteed.
You will learn:
- What you might be expected to do in an emergency
- How communications systems work--and what happens when they don't
- Specific skills necessary for emergency communicators -- including when to talk, what to say, and when not to talk
- How to participate in emergency
communications networks on-air
- How to pass messages 100% mistake free
- When Amateur Radio is not the answer--and how to use other emergency communications tools
- How to choose equipment for emergency communcations and then set it up in a hurry
- What frequencies to use for local, regional, national, and international emergencies
- How computers and radios works together as emergency communications tools
- What to expect in a major disaster--and how to protect yourself and your family
- What to include in your emergency communications "go kit"
- Specific things you must know to
work with public safety agencies
- And this is just a sample of what
you will learn
The 16-hour class will be offered over two Saturdays in November--the 1st and 8th--from 8:30am until 4:30pm each day. There will be at-home reading required and a simple final exam will be offered to those wishing to receive the official course completion certificate (necessary to take Levels Two and Three in the future). Everyone will receive a training certificate from San Joaquin County ARES.
This course is open to anyone who wishes to attend. You need not be an Amateur Radio operator--most of the curriculum is applicable to a variety of emergency communications groups and activities. Members of ACS, RACES, and other ARES groups are welcome. You need not live or work in San Joaquin County to participate.
The course will be taught by a team of instructors--probably 10 or more--representing Amateur Radio emergency groups, served agencies, State OES, and other organizations.
Cost for this class is $30. Limited scholarships are available. The cost includes printed materials. (The online version costs $45 for League members and $75 for non-members).
The class is being held at San Joaquin General Hospital in French Camp, south of Stockton. We have reserved the Doctor's Dining Room, where our HamCrams have been held previously.
How to register: If you would like to attend this course or have questions, please send email to n5fdl@arrl.net with "ARECC" included in the subject line. Or call me at 209-740-4300.
I have copies of the course syllabus available and can send additional course material to those interested in seeing it.
This is an excellent course, being offered in-person for what I believe is the first time ever in the Central Valley. Please take advantage of this opportunity and tell others who might benefit from this training.
I hope you will join us!
Sincerely,
David Coursey, N5FDL
Emergency Coordinator
San Joaquin County Amateur Radio Emergency Service
This class is made possible by support from the San Joaquin County EMS Agency, Tracy Fire/Tracy Amateur Radio Club, and the Manteca Amateur Radio Club. Thank you!
New Tracy Club
We are in the process of forming an amateur radio club for the City of Tracy, Mountain House, and environs. We are working with some hams in the Tracy Fire Department with the goal of creating a club with a public service link to the city and Tracy FD. Since the department's service area is larger than Tracy, extending to include Mountain House and other parts of the south county, that would also be the membership area for the club.
We intend to work closely with the other clubs in the county, especially with the Manteca club, which has welcomed Tracy members for many years. Our plan is to be an ARRL-affiliated club and be the host organization for San Joaquin County ARES.
To learn more about our nascent club, please join our Yahoo Group mailing list (at right) to receive meeting notices and other information. Send questions by using the contact form on this site.
Organizing committee:
David Coursey, N5FDL, EC San Joaquin County ARES
Dan Jarvis, N6VLG
Capt. Eric Oliveri, K6ERC, Tracy Fire Department
Where to find us on the radio
The W6OA repeater, owned by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, is the unofficial home for our club. It is the only VHF repeater with solid ground-level handie-talkie coverage in Tracy.
Frequency: 146.655
Offset: Minus 600 kHz
PL: 100.0 on the input only
The repeater is barely used, but has excellent coverage. It is located on a tower at Site 300 in the Altamont Hills. Coverage is to Sacramento and beyond to the north, Coalinga to the south, and barely to the west as the antenna is shielded in that direction.
For information about emergency communications in San Joaquin County, please contact:
ARES Emergency Coordinator
n5fdl@arrl.net
For more information about amateur radio, visit www.arrl.org.
